


Enemy Fire

by KitsunePhantom09



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: AU-gust 2020, Alpha!Yusei, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Omegaverse, M/M, Momma!Jack, Omega!Jack, Omegaverse, The character tags are for the Japanese names but I'm a filthy dub lover so I'm using the dub names, tags will be updated as I go, ygocollablove
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:01:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26009179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KitsunePhantom09/pseuds/KitsunePhantom09
Summary: Jack has just escaped a horrible alpha, but is in dire straits – heavily pregnant and out on the streets in the middle of winter does not bode well. But as his darkest hour arrives, so too does his savior.
Relationships: Jack Atlas/Fudou Yuusei
Comments: 7
Kudos: 42
Collections: AUgust 2020





	1. Kiss From a Rose

Jack had been such a goddamn fool. He’d dropped his guard, allowed himself to be lulled into a false sense of security by that fucking alpha and where had that gotten him? Spent so long clawing his way out of the gutter, and now he was right back where he started but worse. Out on the streets in the middle of December, in only jeans and a hoodie, while nearly nine months pregnant. He had nothing to his name, not after that fucking snake ripped everything away.

Walking through the streets at night was wreaking havoc on Jack’s body. His back hurt, his feet hurt, the left side of his face was going to bruise like hell. The wind was vicious and the snowflakes felt like hail whenever they touched skin that hadn’t gone numb yet. He’d faced death several times in his life, but he’d never been afraid of it before. Those fights for his life has been all-or-nothing, adrenaline-pumping battles for his future. This…this was not that.

Finally, Jack found a small alley he could duck into. The harsh wind was off of him, and most of the snowflakes were pushed right on by, but he couldn’t stop shivering. ‘Keep moving to keep warm’ kind of stopped being helpful a while back, and it was all Jack could do to keep standing. Carefully, he slid down the brick wall behind him, curling up as best he could to shield his belly from the brunt of the cold. His eyes stung but he refused to shed any tears, not in these temperatures.

He was so tired, so cold… His eyes shut of their own accord, and he couldn’t help the strangled whimper that forced itself out of his throat. A pitiful cry for help, a last-ditch instinct for self-preservation. It wouldn’t work – who would go out of their way for a random pregnant omega? Omegas wouldn’t help competition, betas had no inclination, and alphas weren’t interested in the slightest in raising pups they didn’t sire. The keening cry kept weaseling its way out of him, and he was getting too tired to care.

Then, a loud rumbling noise caught his ear. Jack thought it was a car at first, but no. That was an alpha, and they were looking for him. Every time Jack cried out, there was an answering rumble, getting closer and closer. His eyes refused to open, so he was stuck just listening as he fought to stay awake, fought to stay alive.

Then the rumbling was constant, right beside him, and something wonderfully warm rested against his right side. The short cries quieted as Jack took in an alpha scent that reminded him of fresh cinnamon rolls, and he didn’t resist as the alpha pulled something around his shoulders. An arm snaked under his legs and behind his back; it took three adjustments before the alpha lifted him up, rumbling all the while to reassure.

The alpha carried him a decent distance, did their best to shield Jack from the cold wind when it hit them, and finally came to a short stop somewhere. “Open up,” the alpha called out, and their voice was like honey. It sounded like a door opened, and then the freezing cold was gone, replaced with only warmth. “Run the bath,” the alpha instructed. “Lukewarm – he needs to warm up, but not too quick.” A pair of footsteps scampered away, and the alpha moved to follow.

The sound of rushing water quickly grew louder. “Alright, you two,” the alpha said, gently lowering Jack to the ground. “I know you’re very curious, but you’ll have to sit this one out.”

“Aww…” came a boyish voice. “Are you sure we can’t help more?”

“I didn’t say that,” the alpha reassured. “He’ll need something warm to eat, too.”

“We can do that!” a girlish voice said, and the pair scampered away again, debating what to make for their new guest.

With the words out of the way, the alpha started rumbling again, softly nuzzling Jack to keep him calm. Gently, the alpha pulled the hoodie up, slowly working Jack’s nearly frozen body into the best position to get it off. Once it was, the rumbling turned into a deep growl; no doubt furious over the bruises and scars. Jack recoiled out of reflex, one quite literally beaten into him, and the alpha rushed to soothe him. Piece by piece, the alpha stripped him, then picked him up again to place him into the warm water. It quickly began driving the cold from his body with ease, and he sighed in relief even as his body continued to tremble.

The alpha lowered his head back to rest on something soft, then splashed something into the water. A wet rag was then gently laid across his eyes to defrost them. Another rag was brought out, dipped into the water, and laid on the top of his belly as it stayed out of the water’s reach. Warm hands ran through Jack’s hair over and over, calming him down and warming him up. Every so often, the rags were removed, warmed up again, and placed back into position. The alpha’s rumble remained constant.

When the rag over his eyes was removed for the fourth time, Jack finally got his eyes to open, even if they sagged with exhaustion. The alpha tending to him met his stare and offered a small smile. “There you are,” the alpha greeted, and the sweetness was a shock to Jack. It wasn’t the sickly kind that he’d been getting but something that once again reminded him of fresh cinnamon rolls, the icing drizzled on them to be specific. It made that jagged, gaping hole in his chest ache with longing.

“My name is Yusei,” the alpha said softly, dipping the rag back into the water. “What’s yours?”

“…Jack,” the omega replied.

“It’s nice to meet you, Jack,” Yusei said. Hearing this alpha say his name was doing things to Jack, and he wasn’t sure how onboard he was with that. Yusei gently held the blonde’s chin, turning his face to get a better look of the no doubt massive bruise sitting there. Those azure eyes narrowed, protective and royally pissed, but he cleared himself of the latter before letting Jack go. To the alpha’s increasing credit, he clearly had a very accurate idea of what had transpired but wasn’t prying for information. Just tended to the omega as best he could.

Then, hesitantly, Yusei asked, “Can…can I touch…?” and motioned to Jack’s belly. Had this been any other situation, or any other alpha, and the answer would have been a sharp ‘no’, but Jack just nodded. Yusei slid the rag off and placed his hands on top, gently rubbing the exposed skin. The baby responded, kicking up and squirming around. Yusei gasped lightly, and Jack could see his eyes light up. “Hi,” the alpha greeted breathlessly. “Hi, little one. It’s nice to meet you, too.”

“…Shiloh.” Yusei looked over at Jack. “Her name is Shiloh.” The alpha’s smile grew.

Someone knocked on the bathroom door, prompting Yusei to get up and answer. Now that he could see, Jack realized the two additional voices he’d heard were in fact a pair of children, twins no less. Bright green hair and shiny yellow eyes, they looked next to nothing like the dark-haired alpha but he greeted them like they were his own. Maybe they were.

The twin in blue peeked around Yusei to get a better look at Jack, but the alpha quickly regained his attention. “So, what did you two settle on?” Yusei asked.

“Grilled cheese!” the twins answered in unison. The alpha glanced back as a silent question, and Jack nodded tiredly. “Okay. You two wait downstairs and keep dinner warm. We’ll be down in a minute or two.” The twins chorused an agreement before retreating, this time talking about Jack, but they got too far to listen to too fast.

Yusei snorted with amusement. “They’re excited to meet you,” he said, pulling a large towel out from under the sink. He hit a button under the faucet, allowing the water to start draining, and helped Jack to his feet before wrapping the towel around him and sitting him down on the edge of the tub. “Dry off as best you can,” Yusei said. “I’ll be right back with something for you to wear.”

Jack did as he was told and tried to reason why any alpha would be doing so much for him, but his brain was still sluggish from tiredness. His instincts, his body insisted he just go along with it, but that mindset was what got him locked into his own personal hell to begin with. But maybe this alpha was the exception rather than the standard; he was apparently raising two children that looked nothing like him. Were they fostered? Were they adopted? Were they actually his bio kids and they just took that much after their mother?

Yusei came back before Jack’s weary mind could chase stray thoughts too far down their rabbit holes and helped him into a comfy pair of grey sweatpants, soft black socks, and a black tank top that had no hope of covering his belly. The alpha pondered on it for a moment before disappearing again, replacing the tank top with a much larger t-shirt that…mostly worked. Yusei sighed at it, but Jack waved him off.

The alpha led him out of the bathroom and down a hall with walls covered in framed photos – the kids were adopted after all – and into an open floor kitchen and living room. It was small but cozy with dark wood floors and warm colors all around. Yusei directed him to a love-seat and sat him down on one end as the twins came in with two plates worth of sandwiches. Yusei sat beside Jack, accepting one plate with gratitude, and the twin jumped onto the opposing love-seat to dig into their own shared plate.

Jack hadn’t imagined something as simple as grilled cheese would ever taste so good, but it did. As he ate, he slowly watched the twin in blue get bouncier and bouncier. Finally, Jack cocked a brow and asked, “Yes?”

“Hi, I’m Leo!” the twin greeted, launching off the seat and almost teleporting to Jack’s side. “It’s really nice to meet you! When Dad got all serious and went outside, we were kind of worried because he only gets that kind of serious when someone’s in danger. Then he brought you back and you looked really bad, like stuff was turning blue kind of bad! People don’t do well in the cold and you were doing pretty bad because of it-”

“Breathe,” Yusei and the twin in red said, and Leo took a gasping breath.

“Basically, we wanted to know if you’re really okay now?” the boy finished. Then, as an afterthought, “And also what’s your name?”

Jack could hardly suppress a smile when he heard Yusei chuckling beside him. “I’m Jack,” the omega greeted, “and yes, I’m okay now, thanks.”

He turned his gaze to the twin in red, who approached much more calmly. “I’m Luna,” she said. “and it’s really nice to know you’re doing better.”

Leo was bouncing in place again, and Jack sighed halfheartedly. “Yes?”

“Are you gonna have a baby soon?” he asked. Jack blinked at him. “Your tummy’s really big and you’re rubbing it like the omegas on TV do when they’re gonna have babies.” Jack glanced down to see he actually had been absentmindedly rubbing his belly.

“I…yes,” Jack replied. “She’ll be here very soon.”

Both twins lit up and asked together, “We’re gonna have a baby sister?!”

Immediately, Yusei nearly choked and started coughing, prompting concern from all three of his companions. When he finally swallowed heavily, he asked, “What makes you two think that?”

“The way you look at him,” Luna said like it was obvious.

“This is how all the really good Christmas movies go!” Leo answered happily. “A really nice alpha finds an omega out in the cold and they get closer and closer until they realize they like each other!” Jack glanced at Yusei, who did the same, and they both quickly looked away.

“See?” Luna said. “Like that.”

The more Jack thought about it, the more sense it made. Yusei was a genuinely nicer alpha, and it wasn’t like Jack had anywhere else to go. Staying was the only viable option. And if the twins were right, then maybe Yusei would let him.

“Well?” Jack looked over at the sheepish alpha. “Will you be staying with us?”

“Would you have us?” Jack asked in return. Yusei nodded with a shy smile. “Then…I don’t see why I couldn’t stay for a little-” The rest of his words were drowned out by the twins’ cheers as they climbed up to hug the newest addition to their little family.


	2. Outrunning Karma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Yusei have a soft moment and then they have to prepare for visitors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't know if i said this in the previous chapter (and i'm too lazy to check lol) but the story and every chapter are named with Song Titles so if you want you can search the songs to listen to

Waking up was an event for Jack. Surrounded by scents and things he didn’t instinctively recognize threw him for a heavy loop, and he bolted upright. Looking around, his brain caught back up with him to let him know that he’d been led to this guest room by Yusei, the kind alpha who had saved him from freezing to death just the night before. He was here by choice.

Shiloh squirmed under his ribs, giving his sternum a kick. Jack grimaced and leaned back, gently rubbing his belly. “Sorry, baby girl,” he mumbled. “Just…spooked, I guess.” After a minute or two, Shiloh settled down again, only to be disturbed by Jack’s stomach rumbling its need for food. The blonde groaned softly as his pup wriggled unhappily, jabbing at his insides as she did so.

A soft knock sounded from the door. “Jack?” Yusei called. “Are you awake?”

Jack let his head hit the wall behind him. “Yes,” he answered.

“Can I come in?”

“Sure.”

The white door slid open silently, and Yusei followed with just as little sound. He left the door cracked, letting the light from the living room spill in. The alpha approached with some hesitancy. “Are you okay?”

“Ngh,” was Jack’s response. Shiloh was still moving around, painfully so, and the omega groaned again.

Yusei was at his side on the bed in a flash. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “What hurts?”

For a brief moment Jack was annoyed at the concern – he could take care of himself, dammit – but it softened into appreciation. At least one person seemed to care about him and his pup. “I’m fine,” he replied. “Shiloh’s just active right now.” Yusei looked down at his belly and blinked in surprise; Jack had forgone the t-shirt to sleep, so Shiloh’s movements were on full display. The alpha watched, mesmerized, but shook himself out of the trance.

“Maybe I could settle her…?” Yusei phrased it like a question. Jack shrugged and moved his hands, but watched carefully. Yusei lowered himself down, gently resting his face against Jack’s belly, and started rumbling. Shiloh stopped the strongest of her movements almost instantly, still fluttering in certain spots, but it was nothing painful on Jack’s end. Mindlessly, Yusei wrapped his arms around Jack’s waist, encompassing both mother and child as best he could.

Jack glanced around at the change in position, surprised but not entirely bothered. This was what alphas were supposed to be like with their omegas. Calm, kind protectors of their mates and their pups. From the depths of Jack’s mind, a wish occurred – a wish that Yusei had been his alpha to begin with. Jack shoved it away out of reflex. He had learned to banish such naive thoughts the moment they popped into his head.

But, looking down at this soft alpha cradling him like he was bearing his pup, it made his heart swell with something he hadn’t felt in a long time. Jack was starting to think he wouldn’t mind letting Yusei be his alpha. He already had Leo and Luna, so Jack knew Yusei didn’t place the same great importance on bloodlines every other alpha seemed to. And he was already enamored with Shiloh like she was his own.

Something tickled in the back of Jack’s throat. He swallowed, trying to rid himself of it, but it got stronger and stronger until it made his vocal chords vibrate. Was he… _purring_? When was the last time he’d done that? Purring only happened when an omega felt…safe. Safe and content. Was he really that comfortable around Yusei so quickly?

Jack looked down at Yusei; the alpha looked half asleep cuddled up next to him. Slowly, shakily, Jack lifted and placed a hand on Yusei’s head, gently petting. The alpha’s rumbling grew deeper and he nuzzled even closer. Jack’s purring followed, getting louder to match. This…this was nice. It was very different to how Jack was used to waking up, but it was so much more to his liking.

Jack’s stomach growled again, startling all three of them out of the trance. Yusei lifted himself back up to smile at the omega. “Guess you’re hungry then,” he chuckled, but there was something in the alpha’s eyes Jack couldn’t quite place. It didn’t make the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, at least, so maybe it wasn’t worth worrying about.

Yusei got off the bed with a grace Jack somewhat envied, then turned back and extended a hand. The omega’s pride wanted to swat it away, or just ignore it, but something just a little stronger urged him to take it. So he did, albeit reluctantly, and Yusei pulled him to his feet with ease. Quietly, Jack followed the alpha from the guest room to the living room, where two very awake children were bouncing around. Jack settled into the love seat again as Yusei went about making breakfast, rubbing his belly as his pup wiggled impatiently.

Jack blinked and suddenly Leo was in front of him – this kid was too quick. The omega sighed through his nose before acknowledging him. “Morning.”

“Morning!” Leo repeated. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, go for it.”

“Can you feel the baby move?” Jack nodded. “Could I feel the baby move? Like, if I put my hand on your tummy.” Another nod. “Can I?”

“Can you…?”

“Feel the baby move!” Leo clarified. Jack sighed again, but nodded anyway. For all his excitement, Leo was very gentle in touching Jack’s belly and patient in waiting for Shiloh to move, but he giggled uncontrollably when she did. Luna joined soon after, just as intrigued but much quieter. They marveled at the pup inside him until Yusei called them to get their plates. The twins bounded away, and Jack moved to follow when a smell reached him.

Coffee.

Jack’s stomach lurched, and he pressed the back of his hand over his mouth. The one thing he truly hated about being pregnant was two-fold; couldn’t have coffee and he couldn’t even stand the smell of it. He loved coffee, so to have his body so revolted by it pissed him off.

He swallowed thickly – he could withstand it. The snake had loved coffee too, flaunted the fact that he could still drink it. If he could power through it then, he could power through it now for Yusei.

Jack got up and padded to the kitchen, trying to play off his sudden nausea as best he could. His best wasn’t enough, apparently, because Yusei immediately noticed his discomfort. “You okay?” he asked quietly. Jack nodded; the alpha didn’t look the slightest bit convinced but didn’t press. Not until Jack’s stomach heaved up and he had to cling to the counter.

He fought it down, but his stomach was insistent. Yusei put himself under one of Jack’s arms and hooked his own around his back, gently guiding him away from the kitchen and back to the bathroom. He helped the omega down to his knees, just in time for Jack to lose the fight and retch into the toilet. He brushed Jack’s hair away and rumbled softly to comfort him.

When his stomach finally settled again, Jack leaned away into Yusei’s chest, welcoming the alpha’s embrace and the way he nuzzled into his hair. “Just morning sickness?” Yusei asked softly. Jack shook his head tiredly. “Something caused it?” A nod. Yusei pondered for a moment. “Was it the coffee?” Jack groaned in response, and Yusei took it as the affirmative. “I guessed. You were fine until it started brewing.”

“Is he okay?” Jack glanced up to see the twins huddled in the doorway with expressions of worry.

“I will be,” the omega rasped. “Something just didn’t agree with me.” Yusei helped him back to his feet, directing him to the sink. He plucked a yellow toothbrush from the trio for Jack to use, flushed the mess away, and herded the twins back to the living room. As Jack brushed his teeth, his mind wandered into an expanse of nonsense and nothingness. Half-formed thoughts and blurred, muted memories flickered and flitted in front of him until one stood out.

A memory of his childhood. His mother, an omega male like him, reading a story to him as they sat by a pretty koi lake. He couldn’t remember the story word-for-word, but he remembered the gist of it – a lonely omega living out in the dark forest, shunned by all for refusing to marry a terrible alpha. That omega would go on to make their own town, one that was home to other omegas that refused to be married off to terrible alphas.

That was Jack’s favorite story back then; it gave his younger self hope that even though he was an omega in a world dominated by alphas, he would be strong. And for a while, he was. It took a couple of years, but Jack came into his own. Grew taller and larger than a vast majority of omegas, made himself as strong as he could to match. He refused to be bullied into submission, and he brawled with each and every alpha who decided to test their luck against him.

One after another, they dropped or conceded, and Jack relished in the hatred they spewed at him to save face. Defective, feral, worthless, a whole slew of what they thought were the most degrading insults. He brushed it off like dust off of his coat, smirking victoriously all the while.

Then _he_ showed up.

An alpha larger than all the others in one way or another, littered with scars from past battles. One of his eyes had been clawed out at some point, leaving a slightly sunken in, covered eye socket. Jack was mildly impressed to see such an alpha, but hardly intimidated.

So they fought for over a week. Over seven days of repeatedly clashing in a flurry of blows. When the sun rose on the eighth day, finally Jack collapsed – bruised, bloodied, and beaten. The alpha hadn’t fared much better, but he remained standing when Jack fell. In claiming victory, the alpha claimed Jack as his own mate.

For a while, it went fine. Jack hadn’t minded playing mate to the one alpha to best him in a fight; as far as the blonde was concerned, the alpha had earned it. Fighting one another was a common theme and became their foreplay, a sparring match for the alpha to prove he still deserved such a fierce omega as Jack.

And then Jack got pregnant. Everything changed at the drop of a hat. Suddenly, that alpha was sadistic and vicious like Jack had never seen before. Grabbed him like he planned to break something, slashed at him with all sorts of sharp objects just to see him bleed. The first time, Jack had tried to fight back and lost. Then, Jack tried to run and was ambushed by the alpha’s lackeys to be dragged back kicking and screaming.

From then on, Jack had spent months trapped in a single room, quite literally chained to the wall. The alpha visited him several times a day to feed and taunt him, sometimes to attack him. That habit would be the alpha’s undoing, because Jack would position himself just right to let the alpha attack the chains, weakening their grip on the wall, their links to the collar around his neck. One brutal session, the one that left his face so horribly bruised, actually broke the collar. So Jack tried his hand at running again, and succeeded.

Which led him back to reality. The mirror showed him that bruise, dark purple with splotches of blue that trailed from around his eye down his neck, and the red rings around his throat. It was a wonder the twins hadn’t said anything about it – maybe Yusei intervened before they could.

He rinsed his mouth and looked back up at his reflection, noted the dark bags under his eyes, the white scar still on his jaw from one of the first attacks. He grumbled wordlessly at the injuries marring his skin, only stopping when Shiloh shifted to the side. He rubbed his belly in apology, and his mind tried to wander again, to Yusei this time.

He needed an alpha. It was a blow to his pride to admit it, but the fact of the matter was he needed an alpha. More importantly, Shiloh needed a father, someone who would protect and provide. Jack wouldn’t be able to do those things, at least not while he was recovering from birthing her; not even nine months and she was huge. And another fact of the matter was that Yusei was the best candidate for the role. He was kind, caring, proved his parental instincts with the twins, and was apparently trying to subtly pursue Jack as a mate.

This was a bid for survival, both Jack and Shiloh’s. If they were going to make it through, he had to play it safe, even if it meant rolling over for the first alpha to show him compassion. His pup was relying on him for everything right now, would be relying on him for the foreseeable future; he was going to do right by her.

A knock on the threshold pulled Jack back from his thoughts. Yusei walked in and saddled up to Jack’s side, his eyes asking a silent question. “’M fine,” Jack grumbled halfheartedly.

Yusei smiled a little. “Do you think you can still eat this morning?” Jack mulled it over, and nodded when his stomach didn’t do flips at the idea.

Breakfast was one Jack wasn’t entirely familiar with – it was scrambled eggs with bread pieces, bacon bits, and shredded cheese mixed in. It tasted good enough, though, so he ate without complaining. He did notice the coffee and its smell had been purged from the area, replaced with a sort of lemon fragrance. He hoped Yusei hadn’t just dumped perfectly good fresh coffee just because of a little morning sickness.

Yusei and the twins were moving throughout the house, getting the kids ready for school. Leo had to scramble to remember where he put his homework – it slid under his bed somehow – but Yusei got them out the door in time for the school bus to pick them up. Having the twins gone actually unsettled Jack; he hadn’t realized how much of the background noise was those two playing around or bickering. Now the little house was too quiet.

“It was weird for me, too,” Yusei said suddenly. Jack stared at him – surely he couldn’t read minds. Yusei laughed at the expression. “If you’re wondering if I read your mind, no, your secrets are safe.” If Jack wasn’t suspicious before, he certainly was _now_. “You’re just thinking very loudly.”

“Thinking loudly?” Jack asked.

“Your face is reflecting your thoughts,” Yusei explained. “First time the twins went off to school, I couldn’t stand being in the house by myself. You have them around for a couple of years, you get so adjusted to the house being noisy all the time. Scares you a little when that noise is gone.” He gave Jack a look, one a lot like the one he had when he was calming Shiloh down earlier. “Although, I guess that won’t be a problem soon, huh?”

Jack cradled his belly. What would it be like when Shiloh was born? He’d never been around pups – he was an only child and this was his first, not to mention the lifestyle he’d held previously didn’t allow for pups. Maybe he needed Yusei a little more than his realized.

He looked back at Yusei when he heard a cabinet creak open. “Are you fine with tea?” the alpha asked.

“Yeah,” Jack replied. Yet another reminder of his mother – tea was his favorite, and he’d had a massive assortment of different types. Jack wound up not liking most of them, but his mother’s sweet tea was the best. He gave tea up when he put himself on the track to be the strongest, switching to coffee.

That cabinet made Jack’s heart ache – the collection in it was nowhere near his mother’s, but it was a good start. They were color-coded too, and Jack wondered how well he’d be able to guess all the types just from color alone. Peppermint in bright red, green in light green, earl grey in cool grey, chamomile in warm grey. Yusei pulled a tea in yellow down to brew, choosing to boil water in a pot on the stove.

A question popped up for Jack, and he voiced it. “Do you have anywhere to be today?” he asked. Surely Yusei had a job to work at.

“Not today, no,” Yusei answered. “Apparently working seven days a week isn’t healthy, so I have a day off once a week.” Jack quirked a brow at the vaguely annoyed tone in the alpha’s voice; was Yusei a workaholic?

Suddenly, Yusei froze, his eyes going wide. “Today’s my day off,” he repeated.

“Yes…?” Jack answered slowly.

Yusei closed his eyes and sighed a long sigh. “So,” he started, and Jack felt his hackles rise. “I’m expecting visitors later today.”

“Okay…”

“One of them will be a packmate,” Yusei said. “One of them will be my brother, and possibly…my mother…”

Jack blinked at him in shock. “ _What_?” Yusei just nodded sheepishly, that yes, he’d heard correctly. His mother, brother, and likely best friend. All at once.

Maybe his knee-jerk reaction was misplaced – surely his mother would hold the same values Yusei did? And his brother, being raised under the same person? And Yusei didn’t seem like the kind of person to keep a judgmental asshole close.

Well, he was trying to keep Jack close, so maybe that wasn’t entirely accurate.


	3. Sleeping Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack meets the pack, and several things go awry.

Waiting was something Jack hated doing. He didn’t like the idea of doing nothing or letting things take their sweet time to happen on their own. But right now, there wasn’t much he could do other than make himself as presentable as possible for the upcoming confrontation. Yusei had brought out a decent long sleeved shirt that managed to cover Jack’s bump completely, and had set about tidying up the house as they waited.

As he drifted from place to place, he recalled all sorts of stories of his childhood and early teens. How he and his brother Crow were hellions as kids – Yusei always taking things apart to see how they worked, Crow constantly testing his luck with dangerous stunts. Then, after Yusei presented as an alpha, the journey of self-discovery to understand his new instincts and urges and his place in the world. He and Crow had always been thick as thieves, and the latter was the first member of Yusei’s pack. From what Jack knew of packs, the head alpha having siblings as pack members was unusual, but Yusei wasn’t the typical alpha.

Next member of the pack was Kalin, another alpha. Apparently, as Yusei was searching for unclaimed territory, he’d come across the drifting alpha. Solemn but strong, Kalin and Yusei would spar with one another until Kalin made the abrupt decision to join Yusei’s pack. It had seemed suspicious at first, but Kalin had things in his past to atone for and believed Yusei would help him.

The third member was Akiza, yet another alpha Yusei had come across. Unlike Kalin, Akiza had placed her roots and was steadily gaining more and more territory under the street name of Black Rose. Jack knew that name, if only in passing – the snake had spoken of her with begrudging respect. When she fought with Yusei to take what little territory he had claimed, he had realized how in pain she was. She had been all but neglected in her youth, a problem that escalated when she presented as an alpha. With no one to help her, to teach her what being an alpha was about, she defaulted to what she thought an alpha should be. Yusei showed her that being an alpha wasn’t about being the strongest or the most vicious or who had the most territory. Being an alpha was being a guardian, standing firmly between those you loved most and anything that would do them harm. Being an alpha was also being a leader, someone who could be looked up to for inspiration and advice. Akiza didn’t understand then, but she resolved to learn and joined Yusei to do so.

The final member was Bruno, a tall and lanky beta who shared Yusei’s love for and proficiency with a wide variety of machines. The two were kindred spirits and could work in shocking sync without uttering a single word. The rest of Yusei’s pack had joked about him taking Bruno as his mate as close as they were.

“And, well,” Yusei said, “we tried it.”

Jack cocked his head to the side. “What happened?”

Yusei shrugged. “Nothing changed between us. We made the effort to be affectionate like mates, but it just…it just didn’t sit right with either of us. We were meant to be friends, nothing more.” Jack opened his mouth to ask another question when he heard chattering outside. Yusei looked up at the same time. “They’re here,” the alpha said quietly, then turned back to Jack. “Are you sure you can handle this? You don’t have to meet them right now.”

Jack huffed. “I’ll be fine.” Yusei stared at him, as if to prompt him to say more. Jack raised a hand to his face, his fingertips skimming the bruise. “I know they’ll ask. I’m ready for that.” Yusei nodded to that and went to the door.

As the alpha greeted his guests, Jack sat patiently, slowly rubbing his belly. These people were the ones closest to Yusei; they would have every reason to toss him under a microscope. Jack hissed softly to himself – he was better than this. If they didn’t like him, so be it. Yusei and the twins seemed to like him and as far as the omega was concerned, that was the important part.

The door opened again, this time to let Leo and Luna in. They were little more than blurs, giving quick greetings to Jack as they ran to their rooms to change from their uniforms. With the front door cracked, Jack could hear the sound of quiet conversation, but not any individual words. Yusei was doing most of the talking, he knew that much.

When the twins came charging down the stairs again, Yusei stepped back inside, followed by three people. One of them was an older woman who carried herself in a way that made Jack want to sit up straighter; Yusei’s mother Martha, whom the twins hugged first. Another was shorter, orange-haired man with a grin that screamed trouble; Crow, Yusei’s brother. The third was a young woman with mauve hair and a piercing gaze; Akiza, the Black Rose alpha.

With Martha and Crow distracted by the twins, it was Akiza who noticed Jack first. Her scrutinizing gaze might have been withering to anyone else, but Jack just gave her a side eye – she wasn’t the first ‘terrifying’ alpha he’d shared a space with. Regardless of whatever she saw, she stayed silent.

Crow and Martha looked at him at the same time, but it was Crow who was at the proper angle to see the bruise. His entire demeanor changed from happy and laid-back to concern over barely contained fury in a flash, but it was tempered just as quickly; a skill he and Yusei shared, apparently. “Hey,” Crow greeted, and the gentle tone he used immediately grated on Jack’s nerves. He wasn’t some easily frightened weakling who would bolt at any vague sign of danger – if he was, he’d have left when the redhead alpha walked in.

“Hi,” Jack replied blandly. Leo jumped up on the love seat beside Jack, prompting Luna to join him. Both kids seemed blissfully unaware of the awkwardness that settled before Yusei jumped in to break it.

“Guys, this is Jack,” Yusei said. “Jack, this is Martha, Crow, and Akiza” He motioned to each of them in turn. Martha gave him a nod, Crow waved, and Akiza just raised a brow. Yusei gave Akiza a light nudge and grumbled, “Play nice.”

Leo was bouncing with energy, so much so that Luna had to put her full weight on him to make him stop. As the two bickered, Martha sat across from Jack, and he felt himself shiver against his will. Yusei called her his mother, but Jack was almost certain this lady was an alpha. He knew she wasn’t an omega – there was no sudden increase of omega pheromones when the three walked in – but there was no way a beta would have this kind of unspoken authority.

“It’s nice to meet you, Jack,” Martha said. He nodded to her words. “Leo, Luna.” The twins perked up. “If you would give us a few minutes.”

“What? Why?” Leo protested.

“Adult stuff,” Crow said, and he sounded apologetic. “Ya wouldn’t understand a lot of it even if we did let ya listen.” Both twins looked at Yusei, who just motioned to the bedrooms. They groaned but obeyed.

Martha sighed before she spoke. “I would rather we didn’t dance around it. You’ve just gotten out of an abusive relationship, haven’t you?”

Jack nodded again. “Yeah. Yusei’s helped me out a lot, even in the short time he’s known me.”

Crow smiled, but it was tinged with something dark. “He’s known fer helping anyone who needs it. Picking up strays left an’ right.”

“So he’s told me,” Jack said. “Three alphas and two betas. Never seen that before.” Crow chuckled at it.

“How did you meet him?” Akiza interjected, her tone sharp and words clipped. Yusei shot her a stern look, but she brushed him off.

Jack almost wanted to ignore the question, but if she hadn’t asked, someone else would have. “He found me in a random alleyway like an actual stray. I wasn’t dressed for the weather and would have frozen to death if he hadn’t heard me-” _Swallow your pride, swallow your pride_ … “Heard me crying for help.” Jack took a sip of his tea to get rid of the bitter aftertaste.

Crow blinked at him. “Wait, wait, hol’ up. When did ya leave yer ex?”

“Yesterday.” Saying it out loud was surreal – it hadn’t even been twenty-four hours but it felt like weeks had passed since he’d finally gotten out and away.

“ _Yesterday_ , holy shit,” Crow repeated, “I mean, that explains the big-ass mark on yer face, but damn. Y’alright?”

Jack snorted. “I’m already leagues better than I was. Besides, my leaving was only a matter of time. Like I was going to stay with that asshole.”

“Course not, but was it really that easy?” Crow asked. “Just…walking out?”

Jack huffed. “We weren’t bonded, if that’s what you’re afraid of. The only reason we were together to begin with was that he was the only alpha to impress me.”

“Impress you?” Martha asked.

“I have a reputation for getting into fistfights with alphas,” Jack explained. “If they couldn’t beat me in a physical fight, they weren’t worth my time.” He paused. “Although, I suppose that metric for measuring an alpha’s worthiness was…flawed, to say the least.”

“A little,” Crow said, “but don’t omegas like to have a real strong alpha to protect them? It was a good test for that.”

“That was not why I did it,” Jack snapped. “I did it to prove I could.” Yusei, Akiza, and Crow gave him incredulous looks. “I didn’t want a mate and I certainly didn’t want to be coddled, but that’s all I was met with. Every alpha who took an interest in me treated me like was made of stained glass and tissue paper, like I’d break if they so much as looked at me wrong.” Jack settled back into the seat. “So I proved them wrong.”

“Didn’t?” Yusei chimed in. “Past tense?”

Jack shifted under the implications of the questions. “I…well…things have changed since I made that…personal declaration.” He knew Yusei was now openly testing the waters, trying to see if Jack would really be receptive to any advances. Jack sighed. “I’m not just looking out for myself anymore.”

Crow shared a look with Yusei that Jack couldn’t decipher. Martha’s expression was neutral, but she spoke with a softness. “You’re acting in your pup’s best interests, then?”

“Of course,” Jack replied. “She’ll be the one good thing to come out of that whole mess.” Crow looked back to Jack with a different look on his face, then back to Yusei who smirked at him in an obvious ‘ _I told you so_ ’ way.

Suddenly Akiza shot forward, hooking her arm around Yusei and dragging him down the hall opposite the bedrooms. Crow stood from his lean against the wall to follow, but stopped short when a door slammed shut. He looked at Martha who got up and moved to follow them, pausing for a moment when she heard the muffled shouting.

As the older lady went to investigate and stop the argument, Crow came and sat beside Jack to wait. When Martha opened the door, they could clearly hear Yusei yell, “If you would fucking _listen_ for minute, you’d know!” The door shut again, and the noise vanished.

For a few seconds, the two stayed in silence, then Jack muttered sarcastically, “Guess she doesn’t like me much.”

Crow scoffed. “Akiza doesn’t like anybody except Yusei, you ain’t special.”

Jack blinked at the aggressive tone. “She has issues with everyone? Even her pack?”

Crow rolled his eyes. “God, dealing with her’s like herding cats. Like, I get it, she’s gotta lot of unlearning to do, but she’s still an ass more often than not. Ya should’ve seen her when Yus’ was courting-” He snapped his mouth shut.

“Courting?” Jack asked. “Courting who?”

Crow looked at the floor. “That ain’t my story to tell. But the long an’ short of it is Akiza was never gonna like ya, an’ I think it’s because she wants Yus’ fer herself.”

Jack raised a brow. “Really?”

“Yeah, but uh…don’t tell her I said that.” Crow grimaced. “Last time I just hinted at it and she tried to rip my head off fer it.”

There was a knock at the door, and it opened to reveal two new faces – a pale-haired man with a giant scar down one side of his face and a much taller blue-haired man who looked like the poster boy for optimism. They noticed Jack and Crow quickly, but the silver alpha kept looking around.

“Yo,” Crow greeted. “Just in time fer the aftermath.” He motioned to the omega beside him. “This is Jack. Jack, the human tower is Bruno, an’ the pale horseman of the apocalypse is Kalin.”

Bruno waved with a smile while Kalin grimaced. “Pale horseman- really?” He shook his head; apparently there was a lot Jack didn’t know about this pack’s history. “Where’s Yusei and the twins?”

“And Martha!” Bruno said. “And Akiza! Didn’t they come with you?”

“Yeah,” Crow muttered. “Y’all need filling in, so take a seat.” Bruno did as Kalin closed the door to lean against it. “Twins are in their bedrooms, or in one of them at least, an’ Martha, Yus’, an’ Akiza are back that way.” He pointed down the hall. “Martha’s playing mediator because Yus’ an’ Akiza are going at it.”

“Akiza arguing with Yusei?” Kalin asked in disbelief. “That’s a new one.”

Crow looked at Jack in a silent question of permission, and Jack waved him on. “Well, Jack here just come out of a terrible relationship an’ he’s taken refuge with Yus’.” The two newcomers nodded. “Apparently, an’ Yus’ told me this himself, but our boy’s got his sights set on this one right here fer a mate.”

Kalin stood upright. “What? Him?” He pointed at Jack, and Crow nodded. Chartreuse eyes gave Jack a once-over before narrowing in suspicion. “How long have you known Yusei?”

“Since yesterday evening,” Jack answered.

Kalin blinked, then looked back at Crow with an unamused expression. “You can’t be serious.”

Crow shrugged. “It’s what he told me, so I dunno what to tell ya. An’ course Akiza took offense to it. Dragged him by the arm back there an’ that’s where they’ve been fer…what, ten minutes now?” Crow nudged Jack, and the omega turned his face to show the bruise. Bruno inhaled sharply and Kalin swore under his breath.

“When you said ‘just got out’ you meant it,” Bruno said sadly. “That bruise can’t be more than a couple of days old as dark as it is.”

“Got the chance to get the hell out of dodge yesterday afternoon,” Jack said. “Met him a few hours after. He saved my- our lives.” Jack looked down at his belly.

Bruno radiated sympathy, but Kalin just stared at Crow again. “We know Akiza’s not onboard, but are you?”

Crow raised a brow with a frown. “Are you?” Kalin crossed his arms impassively. “Fine. From what I’ve seen, I ain’t got a problem with him yet.”

“He’s known this omega for less than twenty-four hours and he’s smitten,” Kalin growled. “I don’t trust it at all.”

“I don’t appreciate being talked about like I’m not in the room,” Jack hissed, then he settled. “But yes, it is very suspect.”

Kalin stared Jack down. “I don’t appreciate watching my friend get used by some random stranger.” Jack bristled. “You just want security for that pup of yours.”

“Of course I do,” Jack retorted. “It’s almost like I might care for her. What a shock!”

Kalin stepped forward, prompting Crow and Bruno to stand, the redhead beta standing close to Jack. “You’re not the first ‘needy’ omega to sink their claws into Yusei,” Kalin said. “I’ll be damned if it gets that bad again.”

“Kalin, enough!” Crow snapped.

“Fuck off!” Jack hissed back at the silver alpha. “I didn’t ask for shit; Yusei’s done all this by himself!”

“Of course he has, because that’s who he is,” Kalin said hotly. “He’s an idealistic idiot!”

“Why are you acting like that’s my fault?” Jack demanded. “I didn’t know he even existed before last night!” Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw Bruno turn around.

“You’re taking advantage of him,” Kalin said darkly. He pressed forward, easily shoving Crow aside, and slammed an arm down beside Jack’s head. The omega wordlessly hissed and bared his teeth, but his brought his legs up as a shield for his pup. “I won’t stand for that-”

“ **Kalin!** ” The silver alpha jerked back at the roar. Yusei charged in and slammed into him, bracing himself in front of Jack. Kalin stumbled but stayed upright. The alpha pheromones radiating from Yusei made it hard for Jack to breathe. “You **will not** threaten him like that **again** ,” Yusei snarled, his alpha roar bleeding into his voice. Crow and Bruno had shrank back against the seats while Kalin braced himself against the wall, all of them wide-eyed and submissive. Akiza, who had followed Yusei, backpedaled to hide in the hall at the display. Martha was the only one who stood unfazed by the outburst.

The older lady shared a look with Jack, one that told him to leave the room. Jack moved slowly, getting to his feet; Yusei’s eyes flickered from Kalin to the omega, providing a hand to help. As he retreated towards the bedrooms, he heard the alphas growling and it sent chills as cold as the grave up and down his spine. Yusei’s growl against two others – Akiza and Kalin were going to gang up on him?

Jack glanced between the four doors – red and blue for each of the twins, a yellow one that was likely Yusei’s, and a purple one. Cautiously, Jack peeked into the red room to find it empty. He moved to the blue, and found two pairs of worried yellow eyes peering back at him. He sighed and asked, “Mind if I come in?” Both twins nodded mutely. As Jack was closing the door, the growling started to rise in intensity. He tried to ignore the way his heart sank.

Leo scooted over on the bed so Jack could sit in the middle, and the kids cuddled up to his sides. “What’s going on?” Luna asked softly. “Why are they fighting?”

To be honest, or to preserve their innocence… “Akiza and Kalin are worried I’ll hurt Yusei,” Jack answered.

“But you would never!” Leo exclaimed. “You’d never hurt Yusei, not on purpose, right?”

“No, I wouldn’t,” Jack said, “but they don’t know that.”

“Yusei does,” Luna mumbled, “and so do we.” She nuzzled into Jack’s side, Leo matching on the other. “They’ll listen to him.” Jack wasn’t so confident about that, but he didn’t voice it. Instead, he put his arms around the kids and held them close.

After what felt like hours, everything was quiet; no noise in Leo’s room or beyond it. Jack could feel the tension in both twins and got up, motioning for them to stay put and stay quiet. Cautiously, the omega cracked the door open and peered out. No one was in the part of the living room he could see from this angle, but the lights were still on. He stepped out, creeping down the hall and stopped at the end to glance around the corner. Still no one, and the front door was ajar.

Jack’s heart was skipping beats as fear seeped into his veins like poison. Where was everyone? Where was Yusei? Slowly, Jack left his cover to approach the front door. As he reached for the knob, it slammed shut of its own accord, and Jack recoiled with a cry of alarm. Immediately the door opened again and Yusei stepped inside, apology and worry written all over his face.

“Jack!” The dark-haired alpha brought Jack into his arms and nuzzled into his neck. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He looked up. “You went to Leo and Luna, right? How are they?”

“Scared,” Jack replied. “What happened after I left?”

Yusei pulled back and closed the door with a sigh. “Akiza and Kalin are more against this than I’d expected,” he said. “They were willing to physically challenge me about it.”

Jack let his eyes roam Yusei’s figure – rumpled clothing with tears in places, but there was no dark red spots. “You…you fought them both?”

“At the same time, no less.” Yusei returned to Jack and took his hands. “But, I’m fine,” he said to reassure. “I’ve taken hard beatings before, and I’ve done well with worse odds.” He sighed again, and Jack could feel the exhaustion. “I don’t think they were aiming to win, though. I think it was just the principle of the matter; they really don’t like this and they wanted to make sure I knew how much they don’t like it.”

“You want them to like me.” Yusei nodded. Jack huffed softly. “You can’t force that. If they don’t like me, oh well. Not the end of the world.” The alpha didn’t respond verbally, but he let Jack start leading him to the bedrooms. “Where’s the rest of them?”

“Martha and Crow had to head back to the orphanage, and Bruno’s back at his apartment.” Yusei’s eyes drifted away. “I should check up on him. He doesn’t handle aggression and violence very well.”

Jack snorted. “You need to rest for a minute and let the twins know you’re okay.” Yusei grumbled halfheartedly. “If you want to make sure, just shoot him a text or something, but you are going to take a bit to recover from this.” The longer Jack watched, the more out of it Yusei seemed to get and it was starting to seriously worry him. Was this normal after an alpha contest? He’d never seen it before, but maybe it was different when fighting a packmate.

Jack led Yusei to the yellow bedroom and got him to lay down. The twins, who had been watching from Leo’s room, came in after to crawl onto the bed and curl up with their father. Jack watched the trio for a moment, feeling the ache in his chest, then turned and left the room. He took a steadying breath as he cradled his belly, willing himself to calm down. Everything was fine again.

The bed in the spare room was made, one of the things Yusei had done while waiting earlier. Jack settled down onto the bed, slowly moving to lay on his back before switching to his side. Both today and the day before felt like they’d each taken eternity and a half to pass by, but his memories seemed like they were playing on fast forward. Hardly even 48 hours and so much had happened. So much more than the months he’d spent chained to a wall, locked in a tiny room.

Shiloh stirred again, and Jack realized that throughout that entire sequence of events, she’d been so much more still than she’d ever been since he could first feel her move. He curled up around her, silently apologizing for the stress and fear he inflicted on her. He closed his eyes, and let the murky darkness of sleep take him away.


	4. Altair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Momma!Jack comes out in full force, and we get some massively updated tags.

Most everything was dark when Jack opened his eyes, save for the neon green glow of the digital clock he faced. There were things around him, and Yusei’s scent was all around him. Jack glanced around. Somehow, he’d ended up in Yusei’s room anyway; the alpha in question was spooning him, an arm draped over his side and across his swollen belly. Leo – at least Jack assumed it was Leo from the blue pajamas – was sleeping in front of him, curved around his bump and snuggled into his chest. Jack could hardly see without craning too much, but Luna was behind Yusei, curled into a ball. Jack settled back down and looked back at the clock. 4:33am. Far too early for him to be awake. The blonde stifled a yawn and closed his eyes again.

It felt like a blink when he woke again. Golden morning light shone in from the crack between the curtains of the window, and the clock read 7:24am. He was alone this time, still in Yusei’s bed, and he could here Yusei and the twins moving about, getting ready for another day of school if he was hearing Leo’s complaints correctly. He snorted in vague amusement.

Footsteps approached the room and the door swung open. “Leo!” Luna whispered. “Be careful – he could still be asleep!”

“Sorry,” Leo whispered back. Jack could hear the pair creeping around the bed and decided to mess with them by feigning sleep. He planned to open his eyes when they got close, but Leo was quick. He hopped onto the bed to give Jack a hug, then on his way back down, he gave Jack’s belly a soft pat. Luna did the same, and then the two were gone.

A short silence filled the space until the door opened again, slower this time. Jack could smell something sweet and it made his stomach growl, which in turn made Yusei laugh softly. The blonde shifted to a sitting position as Yusei set a glass of tea on the nightstand and gratefully accepted the chocolate chip muffin he’d brought. The muffin was larger than any Jack remembered ever seeing and it was deliciously warm.

The alpha beside him rumbled with contentment, but his expression didn’t quite match. Jack quirked a brow in a silent question and Yusei sighed. “I have work to do today,” the alpha said, “and I’m finding it very hard to make myself leave you alone.”

Jack took a drink of the tea before responding. “Didn’t realize I was that irresistible,” he joked lightly. Yusei’s smile didn’t reach his eyes, and Jack recalculated. “What, are you worried something will happen while you’re gone?”

“Yes,” Yusei replied quietly. He sat down beside Jack. “I can think of at least five possible things that could happen and they all scare me.” Jack stayed quiet. “I don’t know what Kalin and Akiza are doing today, and I don’t know if I can trust them not to do something to you when they know I’m not here to protect you.”

Jack huffed. “Let them try to attack me.” Yusei snapped to attention with a look of horror. “I may be pregnant but I am not helpless. If they want to learn that the hard way, then they’ll learn the hard way.”

“No, sweetheart, you don’t know what they’re capable of,” Yusei insisted. Jack blinked at the pet name. “Akiza and Kalin both have done…done terrible things in the past.”

Jack squinted in suspicion. “I thought they were trying to be better than they were.”

“They are,” Yusei said, “but they’re not perfect and those tendencies are still there. I saw it in the challenge.” Yusei looked at the floor. “I don’t want them to relapse into the versions of themselves they’re trying to leave behind.”

Jack leaned back to think for a moment. His pup kicked out lightly, prompting him to place a hand over the spot. “What are the other things?” he asked.

Yusei followed the movement, then reached out to put his own hand over Jack’s. “I’m worried you’ll go into labor and I won’t be there to help,” the alpha answered.

Jack sighed with a glimmer of fondness – Yusei was worrying about everything, wasn’t he? “Shiloh’s just fine where she is,” the blonde said. “Omegas are much more in tune with their bodies than you think. I’ll know in advance when she’s getting ready.” Yusei nodded, but his fears were nowhere near soothed. “What else is on your mind?” Yusei fidgeted, and Jack huffed. “Come on, don’t clam up now.”

“How far did you walk?”

Jack blinked. “What?”

“How far did you walk?” Yusei repeated. “From your…your ex?”

 _Oh_. Jack shifted uneasily. “I don’t know exactly. I wasn’t in the right mind to think to keep track.” The idea that the snake would come looking hadn’t really crossed Jack’s mind until Yusei made him aware of the possibility. He wasn’t sure if that alpha would care enough to search, but since Jack was carrying his pup, he had a very valid reason.

Yusei’s gaze was intense and cold enough to make Jack shiver. “I won’t let any alpha hurt you. Never again.” The dark-haired alpha looked away again. “I…I think it’s too soon to leave you by yourself. I want to make sure you’re safe before we do that.” Jack grumbled wordlessly, but otherwise didn’t protest. “I need to sort out Akiza and Kalin, and maybe do some looking into your previous alpha.”

That last part made Jack tense up – Yusei, going after the snake? The alpha who was taller and bulkier than Jack and actually managed to take him down? “Don’t,” the omega said. Yusei glanced at him. “Don’t get near him. He’s dangerous.”

“I know you’re afraid of him-”

“Don’t you _dare_ try that,” Jack hissed. Yusei recoiled in shock. “You can’t warn me away from your pack members and then turn around and ignore me when I warn you away from my shithead of an ex. You know those two idiots to know what they’re capable of; I know that asshole and what he’s capable of.” Jack rubbed at the lingering bruise on his face, forcing Yusei to acknowledge it again as well. “I learned firsthand what he can do, and what he’s willing to do.”

The pair had a staring contest, and for a brief moment, Jack wondered if Yusei would pull rank on him. He wondered if Yusei would use his alpha roar to make Jack concede. In the end, Yusei did nothing of the sort. He sighed deeply before breaking away and submitting. “Okay. Okay, I’ll stay away from your ex.” Jack nodded resolutely, and felt his nerves settling. “But.” Jack stared at the alpha. “I still don’t want you to be alone today.”

Jack shrugged. “Okay, fair enough. You have any favors to call in then?”

Yusei smiled a small smile. “I do, actually, but it’ll require you getting out of the house for a little bit.”

Jack snuggled into the scarf again, likely the tenth time he’d done so in the ten minutes he and Yusei had been walking. It smelled so much of Yusei – that cinnamon scent alongside what Jack could vaguely recall as motor oil, among other things. The alpha beside him had taken extra care to bundle the omega up against the cold and it was further fueling the emotional warmth inside him. Yusei was also keeping his arm hooked around Jack’s, protective but not painful.

As they walked through the blanketed city streets, Jack caught the lingering stares of those they passed by. They were likely just staring because he was very obviously pregnant, so he let it be. As long as they kept their distance and didn’t try to touch him, he was fine.

It was nice to take a walk through the city again; well, a walk that wasn’t tinged with fight-or-flight and didn’t leave him on death’s door. The next time it was warm enough for more casual walks, Shiloh would be with him to see the world. It felt strange to think about so far into the future after spending so long just trying to make it day to day.

But even with the alpha clinging to his arm, Jack couldn’t stop himself from scanning the area. Said area was a part of the city he hadn’t visited in a little over a decade. Everything was worn, not worn enough to break but nowhere near pristine like the snake’s neighborhood had been. Some of the shops tickled memories in the back of Jack’s mind, struck him as familiar, and he wondered if he was back in the part of town his mother had lived in before moving in with his father.

His father. Jack had taken a vast majority of his physical traits from his mother’s alpha – blonde hair, pale skin, sharp facial features, violet eyes, even his height was from the alpha. Few days went by when Jack didn’t lament not taking more after his mother, because seeing the resemblance to that bitch of an alpha stung like hell.

Jack may have a strong sense of pride and respect for his ability, but his father was so potently self-absorbed that she dragged others in like a riptide. He fought for the respect he garnered from others while his father simply demanded it like a petulant toddler. What made that endlessly infuriating was that she got her way much more often than not and she always flaunted her prize. It enraged Jack to know that everything he fought tooth and nail to have she could get just by whining in that incessant screech of a voice. She knew it pissed him off as well, and she made sure to remind him constantly.

On top of that, she was one of those alphas who believed they were inherently superior to betas and omegas just by nature of being an alpha – a major factor in Jack’s ‘crusade’ to prove himself against the alphas of the streets. She never hid the fact she wanted an alpha child, never hid her immense disapproval when Jack presented as an omega. She had been terrible before that first heat, but after was when she resolved to make his life hell. She was constantly using her pheromones to force him to obey, if usually because he wouldn’t do so otherwise.

The lowest point, and his mother’s breaking point, was when she had her alpha friends over during one of Jack’s heats. If Jack had been the proper age when he presented, maybe things would have been different, but presenting at the tender age of nine made things so much worse. An eleven-year-old, hardly old enough to understand how his body had changed, how it worked, being set upon by a pack of thirty-something alphas.

His mother had been rendered helpless for so long to his father’s pheromones, but seeing his pup being wrangled to the bedroom for…well, for a _gang-rape_ … It was the one and only time Jack’s mother had been unresponsive to his alpha’s command. It was also the only time Jack had ever seen an omega go feral. To this day, Jack was never sure if his mother had actually killed any of those alphas, but he distinctly remembered the sight of blood splattering onto the walls, the sound of bones crunching under terrifying force. That was the day Jack realized how much his mother suffered under his father’s control. It was the day Jack truly resolved to be the strongest omega he could be, to live up to that powerful display of love.

Jack rested a hand on top of his swollen belly, feeling Shiloh’s fluttering movements. He wondered if his mother would be proud of him. Probably not for getting into as many fights with alphas as he did – his mother hated violent confrontation – but maybe he’d be proud of Jack for doing his best to do right by his pup. He would have liked Yusei; the dark-haired alpha was the kind of alpha his mother told stories about.

Yusei gently nudged Jack, bringing him out of his own head. “The orphanage is just ahead,” Yusei murmured. The blonde nodded and took note of the building.

The orphanage was massive, colored in warm browns and blacks. Just behind the dark metal gates, children of all ages were running around or sitting in circles playing in the snow together. Three adults were positioned around the yard, one of which was the redhead beta, Crow. In his attentiveness, he noticed the approaching pair and jogged to the gate to meet them.

“Hey, lovebirds,” Crow greeted. “What brings you two here?”

“I know this may be a bit much,” Yusei began, “but I’m not sure leaving Jack by himself is the best idea right now.”

Crow nodded solemnly. “I can understand that. Akiza an’ Kalin both have a mean streak as wide as their crazy is deep.”

“Among other concerns,” Yusei added. “Although, on the way here, I couldn’t help but wonder if bringing him here was possible because you have so many pups to look after…”

Crow cocked his head while staring at Jack. “Actually, we could use ya, if yer up to it.” Jack motioned him on. “See, we’ve got a new pup, Martha says he’s a couple weeks old at most.”

“A newborn?” Yusei asked. “Why…?”

Crow shook his head. “Momma died during birth an’ the father is in prison. We couldn’t get a hold of any family we could trace, so he’s here, an’ he’s got problems.”

“What problems?”

“Ain’t taking bottles an’ ain’t sleeping right, to name the two most threatening ones. Pup that young needs his mom, but she ain’t here now.” Crow looked back at the yard, scanning. “We’re doing everything we can think of, but nothing’s working. His momma was an omega, an’ we’re thinking that’s why he’s so out of sorts.”

Jack frowned. “Are there no omegas here?”

Crow shook his head. “’Fraid not. We’ve tried to recruit lots of times, but none ever approached us. I’d’ve thought omegas would be perfect fer this, but maybe there’s something I’m missing.” The redhead looked back at Jack. “Think you can help us out here? Yer an omega, an’ yer pregnant to boot. Maybe he’ll think yer his momma come back for him.”

“As if I would refuse,” Jack replied. “Besides, I’m supposed to be here anyways to stay safe; might as well help out if I can.”

Crow smiled, then said to Yusei, “Y’know, I don’t think I’d mind if ya kept him.” He backed off of the gate and walked to one side to unlock and pull it open just wide enough for Jack to enter. Now separated by the gate, Yusei reached through and pulled Jack towards him. The omega could hardly blink before the dark-haired alpha pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. Jack’s face heated up quickly, and when he was let go, he saw Yusei’s cheeks tinged darker than the cold could be blamed for.

“Stay safe,” Yusei murmured.

Jack swallowed thickly. “You too.” When Yusei turned and started walking away, Jack almost called after him, but they both had things to do now so he didn’t. The blonde turned and caught Crow’s smirk. “Piss off,” he grumbled, and Crow barely stifled a laugh.

“Alright, c’mon,” the beta said. “Let’s get you inside.” As Jack followed, Crow barked an order to someone named Jolene to take watch in his stead. Crossing the yard proved only slightly hazardous with the kids running around.

Inside, the orphanage was noisy and busy. Even more children were inside, some too young to be outside in the cold for very long and teens who simply decided to stay in. Some of the older kids spared Jack and Crow a glance before shrugging them off.

Crow let Jack deeper into the building, away from the brighter lights and louder noises. To a quiet, dimly lit wing colored in pastel pinks, blues, and purples. The adults here moved slowly and softly, carrying infants and leading small toddlers from place to place. There were rooms dedicated to different things – play, preschool teaching, feeding, sleeping, and a little infirmary (if that was the right word for such a room). Tucked away from the rest of it all was a small room, the dark wood door baring the label ‘In Danger: Keep Watch’. The beta opened the door and let Jack in first.

The walls of the room were grey but they were covered in winding murals of various soft colors. There was a knob rather than a light switch, and the curtains were drawn entirely over the window. Among the dark wood furniture was a crib, one with thin drapes pulled around it, and from within came the weak whimpers of a pup. Jack approached the crib and brushed the shimmery material away.

The pup was small and incredibly pale with blue hair and yellow bangs that curled to the right. Cautiously, Jack reached in, turning the inside of his wrist to the pup to let him take in the scent. The pup whimpered at the disturbance at first, but quickly quieted and tried to turn himself to face the source of the scent. With as much care as he could muster, Jack scooped the pup into his arms. Crow tensed as he watched Jack hold the pale pup against his chest, but the pup showed no resistance. The omega let himself start to purr as he slowly rocked his new charge, and the pup tried to mimic.

“That’s a real good sign,” Crow whispered. Jack gave him a confused look. “No one’s been able to touch him without making him upset. Every time we hold him, he screams bloody murder. But you’ve done both an’ he’s not complaining in the slightest.”

Jack looked back down at the pup. “Does he have a name?”

Crow nodded. “The nurses at the hospital said his momma called him Yugo.” The redhead cocked his head, then said, “Gimme a minute. If you can hold him, maybe you can get him to eat.” The beta slipped out of the room with a shocking grace, so Jack sat in the rocking chair in the corner, right next to the crib. Switching to hold Yugo with one arm, Jack gently tapped the pup on the nose. Yugo instinctively rubbed at his face and grabbed onto the omega’s finger in the process. The pup’s eyes blinked open, revealing them to be a greenish-blue, but the pupils were cloudy. Jack frowned – murky pupils meant vision problems, right? Was Yugo blind?

Crow came back just then, carrying a bottle and letting Martha in behind him. Jack gave the older lady a nod and accepted the warm bottle, letting Crow help prop the pup up to a proper angle. The blonde touched the teat of the bottle to Yugo’s mouth, prompting him to open up. The pup suckled for a few moments, trying to knead against the plastic of the lid, then started squirming. Jack moved the bottle away, frowning again as Yugo spit out the formula.

“Shit,” Crow murmured. “Really hoped that would work.” He brought over a box of wipes to clean the mess, and while Yugo fussed, he didn’t cry.

Martha folded her hands together. “Some pups are just too sensitive for formula,” she said. “but that means we need a source of omega milk for him.”

When both of them looked at him, Jack shook his head. “I’m not lactating yet,” he said. “I would if I could, but right now I can’t.”

Crow frowned in confusion. “Wait. How far long are ya?”

Jack paused to remember. “I think…next week will be the first of the ninth month.”

Crow looked back at Martha. “I thought omegas started producing earlier than this?”

“Everyone’s different,” the older lady replied, “but yes. On average, omegas start producing milk somewhere in the eighth month. Given your…recent history, it may be that the stress of it all has caused some lateness.” She crossed her arms. “Although, perhaps this may spur your body into action. While I don’t know for sure, I’ve heard that omegas are very responsive to any pups they regularly encounter.”

“How long does that take?” Jack asked. He looked back down at Yugo and frowned. “How much longer does he have?”

Martha shook her head. “I can’t say for certain on either front, but this little pup’s a trooper for sure.”

Jack watched as Yugo yawned and haphazardly rubbed at his face. Crow backed a little ways away and motioned Martha to follow, and they started talking in whispers. Rather than obsess over the possible topics, the omega focused on the pup in his arms who was quickly falling asleep.

Holding the pup was…it felt…right. Something in Jack was adamant this was important to do, that looking after this infant wasn’t an option. He knew it was just his omega instincts kicking into high gear, but it was hard to form a competent argument to counter it. The idea of leaving Yugo to go home with Yusei made him tense up and hold the pup closer; just the thought of putting the pup back into the crib didn’t sit well with him. This pup needed an omega to look after and care for him, and it seemed Jack was the only one both willing and somewhat able.

So that’s what he was going to do.


	5. Wolfsong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Martha and Jack have a talk, and Yugo comes home.

For the most part, the day was uneventful for Jack. As he was constantly with Yugo, he was far from a lot of the noisy activity of the orphanage, and both Crow and Martha had to leave to deal with other things. It was nice to know they were trusting him with the fragile pup, but it was sort of boring. Someone, not always a person Jack knew, would peek in occasionally to check on them and every time, Jack had to choke down a threatening hiss. His instincts were already getting out of control; according to them, he’d already claimed the pup as his own.

There was another attempt at bottle-feeding Yugo formula, but the result was the same – the pup would try to eat only to spit out his first mouthful. So the lack of eating wasn’t for lack of trying on Yugo’s part. The pup also spent most of the time sleeping on Jack’s chest, which made it rather easy to look after him. Anytime Yugo whimpered in his sleep, Jack would purr and the pup would settle almost immediately.

Jack was almost dozing off himself when someone lightly knocked on the door. Yugo startled and whined, kneading Jack’s chest as the omega gently held him close to stand. On the other side of the door was Crow and Yusei, and the latter’s eyes instantly homed in on the pup. The dark-haired alpha rumbled as he gave Jack a small kiss on the cheek, just like when they’d parted that morning.

“I hear you’ve been a big help,” Yusei murmured. Jack just purred in response, prompting Yugo to make another attempt to mimic. Yusei smiled at it. “Little one’s gotten attached apparently.”

Jack almost didn’t notice Crow shuffling to stand more behind Yusei, and when he gave him a look, Crow seemed nervous. “You two need to be getting home to the twins, right?” the beta asked. Jack felt every muscle in his body tense, and Yusei followed suit, moving to better keep Crow shielded.

“Jack…” the alpha said softly. “We do have to leave-” The omega recoiled and braced his arms around Yugo, hissing loudly and baring his teeth at the implied ‘but the pup stays here’. Yusei fidgeted at the wordless threat but didn’t back down. “Jack, please. I know you want to help him, but you can’t stay here overnight and we can’t take him home with us.” Jack hissed again, backing away into the dim room. He wasn’t leaving Yugo, the pup needed him!

Crow scrubbed at his face. “Fuck,” he groaned. “I was hoping Jack was a good momma, but I guess he’s a little _too_ good. He’s not gonna let that pup go.”

Yusei sighed, then tried to step closer. “Sweetheart, listen. This pup needs special care – care we can’t give him. He has to stay here.” Jack glared at the alpha, a silent dare to try and separate him from his new pup. The alpha let his shoulders slump and shared a glance with his brother, who shrugged in return. “The pup does have to stay, doesn’t he?”

“Pretty sure,” Crow replied. “I mean, unless Martha’s gonna give the go-ahead.”

“Go-ahead for what?” Both boys jumped at the sound of their mother’s voice. Martha stood in the doorway, her gaze slowly panning from her sons to the omega. Jack mildly withered under it, but kept his arms firm around Yugo. The older lady hardly seemed surprised. “Oh, I see.”

“What do we do?” Crow asked. “He’s not gonna give Yugo up without one helluva fight.”

Martha didn’t answer, just gave Yusei a knowing look. The alpha almost looked betrayed. “No. No, we can’t… We already have…”

“Do you really think anyone could separate them now, with the behavior we’ve already seen?” she asked. Yusei shook his head. Crow opened his mouth to argue, but Martha held up a hand to stop him. “Like it or not, but not only has Jack claimed Yugo for his own, but Jack may be the best chance the pup has to survive.” She turned to the omega. “We don’t have any omegas on staff to take his place for this pup. If you think you’re capable, I would give this a chance.”

Yusei frowned. “You think this is do-or-die, then? For Yugo?” Martha nodded. The alpha crossed his arms and sighed before hanging his head. “Then…we can try…” Hearing his alpha give in made Jack’s body lose its tension, and he didn’t shy away or hiss when Yusei stepped closer again. The dark-haired alpha reached up to gently rub Yugo’s back, and the little pup nuzzled into Jack’s chest, sleepily trying to mimic the omega’s purring.

Without turning away, Yusei asked, “The issue now is getting him fed, right?”

Martha nodded. “None of the formula types we tried went well. The current hope is that being so close to a needy pup will persuade Jack’s body to start producing milk; it’s the only thing we don’t have here. If even that doesn’t work…I don’t think the pup will survive long.” Jack held Yugo a little tighter – this pup wasn’t going to die, not on his watch.

Crow ran a hand through his hair. “Well, if yer taking the tike home, we’ll need him bundled up properly.” He gave Martha an exasperated look, but didn’t protest the decision. Instead, he turned on his heel and left the room, grumbling about finding anything in such a small size. Yusei watched his brother go, and Martha motioned him to follow. The alpha cocked his head to the side but did as he was told.

Which left Jack and Martha alone.

The older lady moved away from the door, not coming much closer than she already was, and Jack noted it – she left him an escape route if he needed it. “How are you adjusting to staying with Yusei and the twins?” she asked.

Jack paused for a moment – there was no way she’d have a moment alone with him for that. “I think it’s going well,” he replied. “The twins seem to like me at least.”

Martha nodded. “That’s good.” She frowned for a moment. “I’ll be honest, when I first saw you, I was very apprehensive about you.”

Jack lightly shrugged. “You had every right to be – you still do, to be honest. As far as you knew, I was just a leech, ready and willing to bleed Yusei of everything he had. You’re looking out for him, and I can’t fault you for that. Especially since there’s been something like that in the past.”

Martha blinked at him. “What do you know about that series of events?”

“Truthfully, the barest of basics,” Jack said. “All I know is that Yusei’s previous relationship was with an omega who did the thing you’re worried I’ll do. They were someone who used him and abandoned him when they got their fill.”

“No details then,” Martha said softly, and Jack shook his head. “It happened years ago, back when Yusei was a young alpha and had little control of his instincts. That omega played him like a fiddle, and nothing we said to him helped him see what was happening or what was coming until it was far too late.”

Jack glanced up in the pause to follow, and the older lady smiled at him. “You’ve only been around for a few days, but you’re leagues better for him, I think. Getting along with the twins is always important, but you’re not hostile to us, not without provocation. Crow seems to think highly of you, too.” She looked out of the room, down the hall. “And…I went to visit Yusei and Bruno in their repair shop.”

“For Bruno’s opinion?”

“Partially, but he said he hadn’t spent enough time with you for proper judgment.” Jack nodded – Bruno was a fair one, apparently. “But the part that truly swayed me was…while he was working on a project, I could hear Yusei singing.”

“Singing?”

Martha’s eyes seemed to glisten in the low light. “Yusei loved to sing when he was younger, said it was his way of telling the world how happy he was. From the day he met that omega to today, roughly twenty years, he never sang. Not once. Always shied away from it when anyone asked.” She wiped at her eyes. “You brought my boy’s voice back.”

She sniffled a little and smiled again. “So even if those hard-headed alphas don’t warm up to you, just know you’ll have my vote of confidence.”

Jack nodded and smiled back. “Thank you, Martha. That vote means a lot coming from you.” As shadows stretched across the floor of the hall, he added, “I intend to do right by Yusei as much as I do the twins and these pups.”

“I believe you.”

The walk back home was a little bit of a blur to Jack, with his focus on the little pup in his arms. Yugo didn’t seem fazed by the evening cold; he cooed and giggled as snowflakes lazily drifted by, sometimes reaching out to try and grab one. The very few he did manage to catch melted in his tiny hands, and he just didn’t know where his prize had went. The disappearance of the snowflakes never discouraged him though, and he just tried to grab another. Stepping inside made Yugo whine a bit, but Jack’s purrs calmed him quickly.

“Mom, Dad, you’re home!” Yusei barely had time to brace before Rua barreled into his arms with enough force to make the alpha stagger. The male twin then gave Jack a more careful hug from the side as Ruka went to calmly hug Yusei, then followed her brother’s example.

The blonde paused and looked down at Rua. “...Mom?”

“Well, yeah,” Rua said, like it was the most obvious thing. “You’re a momma, and you’re with us, so you’re our Mom.”

Ruka nodded. “For once, Rua’s logic is very sound.”

“Hey! What do you mean ‘for once’?”

The volume of Rua’s voice easily disturbed Yugo, and the pup whimpered. Both twins went silent and stared at the bundle in Jack’s arms. Jack smiled and knelt down to let them see the pup properly. “This is Yugo,” Jack said softly. “He going to be staying with us now.”

“He is?” Ruka asked.

Rua scrunched up his nose. “I thought babies were supposed to be cute.” Yusei almost had to stuff his glove into his mouth to stifle his burst of laughter as Ruka tried to shush him. “What? He looks like a mutated potato!”

Even Jack got a chuckle out of it. “I think that’s a fair opinion.” With a little help from Yusei, Jack stood again. “Maybe the cuteness will grow on you later.” The dark-haired alpha gently took the pup from Jack’s arms so he could shed his coat and scarf.

When the pup was returned, Yusei said, “You go ahead to the bedroom and get comfortable. I’ll get started on the nursery tonight.” Jack nodded and headed down the hall, hearing someone small scampering along behind him. It was Rua, and he opened the door to help.

Looking at the neatly made bed made Jack unhappy, and he couldn’t place why; was it his instincts again? Probably. Carefully, Jack pulled the covers back and away from where he normally slept, but that unhappiness didn’t fade. He frowned to himself, but let his instincts guide him – they’d drive him insane otherwise. When the unhappiness eased up to become a sense of satisfaction, Jack finally laid down with his pup cuddled against his chest.

Yusei came in with something in his hands, and paused to observe the scene. He nodded silently, then stepped closer. Jack raised a brow at the object, and Yusei explained, “It’s a pup’s nest. Keeps them safe during the night while letting them sleep with their mothers.” It was a dark green, a hard shell covered in soft padding, and was just the right size for Yugo to lay in. However, the alpha didn’t join him in bed immediately. Instead, he asked, “Can I lay down?”

Jack blinked at him. “…why are you asking? It’s your bed, isn’t it?”

Yusei looked around. “Yeah, but it’s your nest right now. I think it’d be very rude not to ask first.” Jack blinked again, and glanced around – he had created something of a circle with the blankets and pillows without realizing it.

“Oh…” Jack resettled himself and nodded. “You…you can lay down.” Yusei crawled onto the bed, moving haltingly to not disturb the sleeping pup, and lowered himself onto his side to face Jack.

Yusei reached out and cupped Jack’s cheek, his thumb tracing his cheekbone. “You’re so pretty,” the alpha said softly. “Do you know that?” Jack felt his face get a little warm, and it must have showed because Yusei smiled at him. “You’re already such a good momma, too. So many issues, and every time, the first thing you did was worry about the pups. You’re always trying to make sure Shiloh will be safe when she’s born. You made sure the twins were okay when Akiza, Kalin, and I fought. You saw Yugo in such a bad position, a bad position you knew you could help him out of, and you refused to just leave him to his fate. You are a wonderful momma.”

If Yusei was trying to make Jack a flustered mess, he was well on his way to succeeding – Jack’s face was very warm now and his heart was doing flips in his chest. Yusei moved his hand from Jack’s face to his swollen belly, smiling fondly when Shiloh kicked for him.

Rua and Ruka’s comments from earlier echoed in Jack’s mind, mixing with Yusei’s words, and he buried his face into the pillow as his eyes grew hot. “Jack…?” Yusei asked softly. “Are you okay?” The blonde nodded, trying hard to muffle the sniffling. It didn’t work, because Yusei started gently tugging at the pillow until Jack finally looked at him. “Sweetheart, what’s the matter?”

Jack’s throat was clogged with something he couldn’t clear away, but he managed to force words out around it. “I’m…a good momma…” he repeated. Yusei’s expression of worry faded to one of love, and he leaned over Yugo to press a kiss to Jack’s temple.

“Yes, you are a very good momma,” Yusei said. He laid down again. “Let’s sleep for tonight, and we’ll take on tomorrow together, alright?” Jack nodded again and let his eyes slip closed.


	6. Biohazard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The future is volatile - ever changing and fluctuating - and it is much more subject to the aftermath of the past than one might expect.

When Jack woke up, he had to bite his lip – his chest hurt like a _bitch_. He reach up to touch, and hissed at the pain it caused. Carefully, Jack pushed himself into a sitting position and took his shirt off to examine. His pecs were swollen, slightly red with darker stripes running to his nipples, which were much darker and larger than they used to be. Even the slightest touch hurt, but he did it anyway; he rubbed his hand against one of his nipples, pulling back to see milk coating his palm.

As if on cue, Yugo started whimpering. Jack moved back to sit beside the pup nest and scooped Yugo into his arms, catching Yusei’s gaze as he did so. The omega propped the pup up at a proper angle and introduced him to his breast, waiting patiently for the pup to recognize it. Even the curious licks made Jack wince, and he screwed his eyes shut when Yugo finally latched on to suckle.

The pup was ravenous, trying to gulp down the milk as fast as he could; Jack to detach him every two seconds to make sure he didn’t choke. Feeding was a slow process as a result, but Jack hardly minded – the pup was eating and that was what mattered. Yusei sat up and pressed himself against the omega’s side, nuzzling him and rumbling with contentment.

Before too long, Yusei slipped away into the hall – the twins had school, Yusei had work, and the nursery was still a work-in-progress. For today, though, Jack just wanted to stay put. He had a nest to sleep in, a pup in his arms to watch over, and a pup in his belly to wait on. He was in the core of his alpha’s territory, an alpha who had proved his strength and devotion. He felt safe and protected, and should anyone try their luck, they would find him far from helpless.

Jack had Yugo resting on his chest, gently patting his back when Yusei came back. The dark-haired alpha had clearly meant to speak, but whatever he was going to say didn’t leave his mouth. In a moment, Yusei regained his voice, and he spoke quietly. “Are you okay here?” he asked. Jack nodded, turning his attention back to Yugo when the pup finally burped, startling himself and whining. Both parents chuckled at it, then Yusei gave Jack a sweet, quick kiss on the cheek. “The twins will be back at about four this afternoon,” the alpha said. “I’ll likely be gone until… eight thirty? Roughly.”

“Okay,” Jack murmured. “Stay safe.”

“I will,” Yusei whispered. He kissed Jack’s cheek again, then the top of Yugo’s head, and slipped back out of the room. Soon, the noises were gone, leaving mother and child in silence. Once more, the quiet held an unsettling eeriness, but Jack refused to be made paranoid. He kept Yugo in his arms, rising to his feet to wander the house; there were several rooms he hadn’t seen yet, including the one to be made into a nursery. Wouldn’t hurt to see.

Jack padded down the hall, picking up the scent of breakfast. It was waffles, and Jack’s stomach growled at the prospect of food. It would have to wait until he had a good place to set Yugo down, though.

The blonde walked into the hall opposite the bedrooms and found three doors; one on either side, and one at the end. He started with the one on his right, and the white door opened to reveal a pastel green room. Given the shapes of the pieces of white furniture leaning against the wall and the toychest in the corner, this was the nursery in progress. Among the small and intact items was what Jack was hoping for – a soft little chair for Yugo to sit in. He also grabbed two toys before leaving, a rattle and a teething ring.

Yugo was fussy about not being held anymore, but he was easily pacified by the ring. He gnawed on it with vigor as Jack warmed up a few waffles to eat. Jack’s attention rarely wandered too far from the pup, but when it did, it always went to the window, watching the slow descent of snowflakes against the grey of the city. Maybe he’d take Yugo back outside for a couple of minutes, since the pup had been so enthralled with snow.

What would it be like to live outside of the city? Jack had been born and raised in the urban landscape, and he’d never had the reason or the chance to venture even into the suburbs. Why was he wondering about living in the countryside? Maybe just the change of pace and scenery. Or maybe his instincts were seeping into his thoughts again. After all, a city didn’t really give a lot of space for growing families. Kids needed space to play and burn off energy, and they already had three with a fourth on the way. And as much as he tried to avoid it, Jack held the desire to carry a pup from Yusei. Of course, having Shiloh might steer him off the path of birthing another pup entirely, but for now the urge was simmering in the background.

There was a flash of bright colors, and Jack’s arm reacted before his brain could register the image. The teething ring was brought back to Yugo’s hands, and the pup cooed at it before putting it in his mouth again. If he tossed the ring again, he’d get the rattle for a little bit. With no hesitation, Jack’s thoughts wandered away again, searching for the train they had been following.

Pups. His thoughts were always coming back to the pups. He couldn’t remember being so obsessed with them before, but was that because the desire wasn’t there or because he was subconsciously shoving it down? Maybe it was just part of the bonding process – Jack had formed a motherly bond with Shiloh and it was just following logical conclusions, which was why he was so attached to the twins and Yugo.

Either way it was causing a conflict of interest in his mind; his logical side was already unhappy at the number of pups they had to look after, but the more primal side demanded more. Of course making pups wasn’t the be-all-end-all of his existence, and there were plenty of alphas and omegas who were fine not having any, but for Jack, there was some sort of…fulfillment? Was that what he felt? It was close, surely, but not exactly it. There was something about knowing he had a pup growing inside him, something about seeing a pup feeding from him, sleeping on his chest…what was that feeling?

Another blur of color – for such a small pup, Yugo had good arm strength. Jack caught the ring before it smacked him in the face and laid it down. In its stead, he lifted and shook the silver rattle, garnering Yugo’s attention before lowering it into his grasp. The pup waved the rattle every which way, and different directions made different sounds. Hearing the pup giggle made Jack smile.

Was his more logical side right in how exhausting raising a slew of pups would be? Absolutely. But seeing this might make the troubles worth it.

Jack’s mother had been the same. He’d wanted a lot of pups as well, but Jack’s father hadn’t been overly fond of the idea. Maybe he’d somehow gotten the yearning from his mother, or maybe his desire to spite his father at every turn was just that strong.

But, in the end, Jack supposed he’d leave it up to Yusei. The alpha was hardly subtle – he wanted Jack as his mate, and if they were to be mated, the number of pups would be a shared decision. Four was a hefty number as it was; Yusei wanting to leave their family at six was beyond understandable. There was also the matter of space, of course, but also income. Jack was going to be kept at the nest for a while, tending to two very young pups for the first year at the very least. Properly caring for pups was never cheap. Yusei being the only source of money for the family would be very influential on the decision.

But, on the off chance the alpha did want more pups, it would still be a future endeavor; there just wasn’t the space for more. There was hardly the space for four. Having more pups would mean getting something bigger. The bright side to having to wait was the recovery time for Jack, if he needed it.

Jack sighed softly. With his plate cleared, he leaned back and cradled his bump, smiling when Shiloh wiggled against his arms. Yugo noticed him again and reached out with one hand, latching on tight to Jack when the omega offered his own.

A sudden chill passed over Jack, making him tense up and glance around. A large shadow passed over the window in the door and the blonde’s heart leapt into his throat. The shadow lingered for several agonizing moments, as though contemplating, and then it knocked on the door. Three heavy thuds.

Jack stood slowly, silently, before pulling Yugo into his arms; the pup was entirely still, not even the rattle in his hands was making any noise. Three more thuds against the door, louder this time, and Jack flinched each time. He retreated to the bedroom, shutting and locking the door, and set Yugo down in the small nest. With his arms free, Jack pressed himself against Yusei’s dresser and slowly shoved it in front of the door.

The front door came open with a heart-stopping crash of splintering wood and shattering glass. Jack looked around wildly until his eyes settled on a thin, glossy, black phone on the nightstand. He scrambled to it and brought it to life…

Yusei had left his phone by accident, and the lockscreen was of Jack sleeping with Yugo curled in his arms. Jack shook himself – he could react to that later. There was no passcode or such, so getting in was easy, and he opened the contacts. It was grand list of people Jack had never met, faces and names he didn’t recognize, so he scrolled frantically until he found one he did know: Bruno.

First ring. Something else smashed in the living room. Heavy footsteps plodded around. Jack tried to steady his breathing.

Second ring. The steps were coming closer. Even with the dresser in front, Jack could see the light disappear as the intruder approached. He felt his body readying for a fight.

Third ring.

Bruno picked up, greeting the blonde with a cheery “Hi! I see someone’s found Yusei’s phone.”

“Where’s Yusei right now?” Jack asked quietly. His eyes were locked on the door, and he moved to stand between it and Yugo. “I need him.”

“Certainly, but…can I…ask…why…?” Three heavy thuds against the bedroom door made Jack back into the corner of the bed. Faintly, he heard Bruno calling out for Yusei.

“Come now, little king,” a heavily accented voice drawled, and every ounce of Jack’s blood turned to ice. “Do not make this harder than need be.” The phone slipped from his grasp, bouncing off the bed and clattering on the floor.

“…n-no.” Jack’s voice was wobbly, but his resolve was firm. “No. I’m…I’m not going anywhere.”

There was a slow chuckle from the other side. “No? Little king, you do not understand situation. You are alone, and you are mine.”

“No, I’m not,” Jack hissed. The phone was lit up at his feet, and he heard someone speaking through it. “Get. Out.”

“Or what?” the alpha taunted. He slammed against the door again, rattling the dresser. “You could not win without pup in you. You are helpless now.”

“Fuck off, you rat bastard!” Jack yelled. “I’m not going _anywhere_ with you!” The alpha responded to the blonde’s declaration by bodily shoving the door open, the dresser skidding from the force.

Sergey Volkov was a behemoth of an alpha, taller and more muscular than even Jack. He advanced on the omega with slow, purposeful, heavy steps, grinning maliciously when Jack crawled onto the bed to keep some semblance of distance between them. Jack moved carefully, only daring to glance away from Sergey to check where Yugo was; he stopped when Yugo was underneath his belly and braced himself.

With his size, most underestimated how cunning and observant Sergey could be, and he noticed the small pup easily. The grey-haired alpha cocked his head at Yugo. “This little one not yours,” he said, “yet you protect.” Jack wordlessly hissed at him, baring his teeth – _stall for time, stall for time_ …

Sergey huffed a laugh. “All your fighting, for what? Become thing you despised?”

“I was fighting for the ability to choose, you Russian prick,” Jack retorted. “What I wound up choosing doesn’t matter – I wanted to be able to choose at all.”

The giant alpha’s smile seemed to lose the edge. “Still fierce, self-determined. You are still omega I fought.” He crossed his arms. “Pup will have good role model.”

Jack squinted in suspicion. “What do you care about the pup?” he spat.

“Why would I not care?”

“If you _fucking_ cared,” Jack replied hotly, “you wouldn’t have fucking bruised and battered me for eight months straight!”

Sergey chuckled darkly. “And let you get soft? No. Pup must know true strength.” Sergey lunged forward, and Jack couldn’t reel backwards fast enough. The alpha caught him by the throat, needing only one hand for a secure grip. Jack choked through the pressure on his windpipe, scrabbling against Sergey’s forearm futilely. “You will be good mother, teach pup to be strong, but you must be strong too.” With terrifying force, Sergey pulled Jack off the bed and slammed him against the wall, narrowly missing the dresser’s edge.

The sudden violence scared Yugo, and he started to cry. Sergey glanced back with deliberate slowness, and fear gripped Jack’s heart. “Little pup scared?” Sergey cooed mockingly. Yugo wailed louder, and darkness was starting to creep into Jack’s line of sight.

There was a noise, one that shook the windows and startled Sergey, and the sharp smell of cinnamon stung Jack’s nose.

Yusei was a wild blur, sprinting in, bouncing off the wall, and brutally nailing Sergey in the face with a knee. The larger alpha roared and stumbled back, clutching at his face and swearing in two different languages. Jack gasped for air and slid down the wall, only to force himself back to his feet to get to Yugo. Yusei and Sergey were facing off, snarling viciously as they planned and waited for the other to make the first move.

Jack pulled Yugo close, the wailing pup quieting somewhat, only to resume when the alphas clashed. Yusei was substantially smaller, but substantially faster and he played on it well; one hit from the bigger alpha would undoubtedly be the end of the fight, but Yusei was dodging with inhuman grace. Sergey was hardly frustrated; Jack could tell just by the way he was watching Yusei move. Another alpha roar rent the air, and Yusei laid himself flat to the floor as Akiza launched herself at Sergey’s face.

She was a flurry of movement, and Sergey roared again as he pulled her off and threw her into a wall. Shockingly, Akiza wasn’t fazed and jumped back at the giant alpha, shrieking like a banshee. With two smaller alphas pummeling Sergey, the bigger alpha was finally getting angry. He swung with great force, never catching Yusei but repeatedly flinging Akiza, and the female alpha was never downed by it.

Jack watched on, holding both his belly and his pup, curled up on the bed and shaking like an autumn leaf. The damn snake _had_ been looking for him, and was after both the omega and the unborn pup. Yusei’s worst fear was reality, and Jack had no idea if there was anything to be done about it. Part of Jack was terrified and screamed at him to run, to get up and out the door before Sergey could remember he was there and grab him again. Another part was begging him to stay still; he was unnoticed right now, moving would be a guaranteed spotlight on him. A third was furious with him – his alpha was fighting like hell to keep him safe and he was cowering in the corner like he was helpless.

The latter won out.

Jack settled Yugo into the tiny nest again and moved slowly, crawling across the bed towards the giant alpha. His eyes tracked Sergey’s left arm and he lifted his own arms in preparation. Back and forth, up and down, Jack waited. Yusei’s back hit the floor, finally knocked off balance, and Sergey moved to take advantage. As the arm swung down, Jack caught it and latched on, caging it against his side and lining the elbow up with his ribs. Jack snarled a war cry and twisted with as much strength as he could muster.

The resulting wet snapping sound was liberating. Actually seeing the twisted flesh, bumpy with shattered bone and quickly changing colors, was sickening, and Jack released the arm to retreat back to his pup. Yusei had scrambled away in the reprieve Jack had bought him, and both he and Akiza stared in something akin to horror.

As Jack expected, however, Sergey didn’t scream or flail or swear. Instead, he cackled manically, running his fingertips over the brutal injury like it was something to be admired. His crazed blue eye turned on the omega. Jack recoiled, then bared his teeth and hissed.

“I was wrong,” Sergey laughed. “You are not soft – you are more vicious!” He turned to Jack, completely ignoring Akiza and Yusei, even when they jumped between them. Beneath the crazed look in that electric blue eye, there was a flash of something else. Sergey grinned, “You have true beauty, little king. I help you keep it.” He took a step forward.

The guttural noise Yusei made in response sent Akiza reeling away, and Sergey refocused on him with a sudden solemness. “You are unworthy of such omega,” Sergey growled. “You know not true beauty. You would leave him soft! **Stand aside!** ” The alpha roar made Jack’s entire body shudder.

“ **He is mine** ,” Yusei roared back, quieter but dripping with authority. “You are the unworthy one. You lost any and all claim over him the first time you **dared** harm him.”

Sergey scoffed. “You cannot contest – he carry my brood.” Yusei stiffened, and the bigger alpha’s grin grew even more cruel. “My pup, my omega. My claim remains.”

Then it was Jack’s turn to scoff. “You know, you almost had a point there,” the blonde interjected, and all eyes turned on him. “Your claim would have remained…if you had marked me.” Jack motioned to his naked shoulders, free of any bonding bites. “Clearly you didn’t do that, so by all means, I’m fair game.” Yusei relaxed minutely, and Sergey growled at him. “You may have sired my pup, but you are not my mate.”

There was a commotion from outside, loud enough to draw every alpha’s attention, so Jack turned his attention to Yugo. The small pup was whimpering fearfully, even as Jack pulled him back into his arms and tried to soothe him. The alphas snarled at each other again, but the omega paid them no mind now – Sergey wasn’t as much of a threat with a mangled arm, so Jack could trust Akiza and Yusei to put him in his place.

Someone hissed his name, and Jack glanced up to see Kalin and Crow just out of sight of the warring alphas. The redhead beta waved him over frantically. Jack spared the alphas a look, and upon seeing them still focused on each other, slowly moved along the bed. Yusei caught Jack’s movement first, his azure eyes flickering from the blonde to the doorway, and he increased the intensity of his roars to keep Sergey’s attention away. It worked well enough, and Jack slipped out into the hall before there was another round of fighting. As Jack left, Kalin entered with a battlecry, and the resulting frenzy of noise made Crow and Jack pick up their pace to leave.

The living room was trashed – pictures ruined, furniture tossed, the door absolutely ruined – and Jack couldn’t help the guilt stirring in his chest. To save time, Crow helped Jack put on his boots and simply wrapped him in a thick blanket, emphasizing it around Yugo. Outside was a gathering of concerned passerby, and seeing so many strangers so close to his ransacked nest was helping Jack calm down. A Security officer stepped close, someone Crow greeted with a nod of respect, but all Jack could muster was a hiss. The officer backed away with his hands up, and Crow gave him a gentle nudge away.

Martha and Bruno were speaking as they approached, hushing just before Jack was in earshot. The older lady added a second blanket around Jack’s shoulders, and glared at anyone who wandered too close. “Are you alright?” she asked softly. Jack just nodded, turning his gaze back to his pup. Yugo had stopped whimpering and crying, but the silence that took their place wasn’t any better. Martha followed his gaze and sighed before turning to the pair of betas. “Crow, go get the twins and keep them away from here until it’s settled and fixed.” The redhead nodded resolutely and moved away as she turned to the much taller male. “Bruno, you’re with me to bring Jack and Yugo to the orphanage.” The blue-haired beta nodded vigorously, and Jack took a moment to notice how badly the poor guy was shaking. Yusei had put it mildly; Bruno couldn’t handle aggressive confrontation at all.

As they began walking away, something tugged on the back of Jack’s mind. He faltered mid-step and turned around. What was this feeling? It was like…no, not forgetfulness. Like he was missing something? Why was he feeling like this?

Bruno gently tugged on Jack’s arm. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Jack didn’t respond right away, his eyes scanning the area and searching for something he didn’t know he was looking for. Martha pulled him back to face the direction they were walking. “The twins will be fine,” she assured. “Crow will pick them up from school and bring them to us without letting that alpha near them.” Her words didn’t do much to soothe the nagging feeling, but he went along with her anyways. Jack had a measure of trust in Crow and Martha – if the older woman said Crow was handling it, then he believed her.

But now, the future was more uncertain than before. Sergey didn’t stop when he was tired or beaten, he stopped when he was done. So long as that alpha was after them, neither Jack or Shiloh would be safe, regardless of how vicious Yusei’s pack was in defending him. It was a miracle Sergey hadn’t brought his own pack, but that just left the possibility for later.

Would Sergey start a turf war? If Yusei was driven from his home, it would uproot his entire life – his pack, his pups, and his potential mate. If he waited until after Shiloh was born, it would make everything so much worse. Two very young pups and a recovering omega forced to move from the nest would be a disaster.

Jack tried to force the thoughts from his mind. There was no benefit to psyching himself out. Right now, he needed to get himself and Yugo to safety, and wait for the twins and Yusei to join him. They’d figure things out from there…together.


End file.
